Unraveling the early universe's equation of state and primordial black hole production with PTA, BBN, and CMB observations

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhu, Qing-Hua, Zhao, Zhi-Chao, Wang, Sai, Zhang, Xin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Zhu, Qing-Hua
Zhao, Zhi-Chao
Wang, Sai
Zhang, Xin
author_facet Zhu, Qing-Hua
Zhao, Zhi-Chao
Wang, Sai
Zhang, Xin
contents Pulsar timing array (PTA) data releases showed strong evidence for a stochastic gravitational-wave background in the nanohertz band. When the signal is interpreted by a scenario of scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs), we encounter overproduction of primordial black holes (PBHs). We wonder if varying the equation of state (EoS) of the early Universe can resolve this issue and thereby lead to a consistent interpretation of the PTA data. Analyzing a data combination of PTA, big-bang nucleosynthesis, and cosmic microwave background, we find that an epoch with EoS $w\sim\mathcal{O}(10^{-2})$ between the end of inflation and the onset of radiation domination can significantly suppress the production of PBHs, leading to alleviation of the PBH-overproduction issue. With the inferred interval $w=0.44_{-0.40}^{+0.52}$ at 95\% confidence level, our scenario can interpret the PTA data just as well as the conventional scenario of SIGWs produced during the radiation domination.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2307_13574
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Unraveling the early universe's equation of state and primordial black hole production with PTA, BBN, and CMB observations
Zhu, Qing-Hua
Zhao, Zhi-Chao
Wang, Sai
Zhang, Xin
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Pulsar timing array (PTA) data releases showed strong evidence for a stochastic gravitational-wave background in the nanohertz band. When the signal is interpreted by a scenario of scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs), we encounter overproduction of primordial black holes (PBHs). We wonder if varying the equation of state (EoS) of the early Universe can resolve this issue and thereby lead to a consistent interpretation of the PTA data. Analyzing a data combination of PTA, big-bang nucleosynthesis, and cosmic microwave background, we find that an epoch with EoS $w\sim\mathcal{O}(10^{-2})$ between the end of inflation and the onset of radiation domination can significantly suppress the production of PBHs, leading to alleviation of the PBH-overproduction issue. With the inferred interval $w=0.44_{-0.40}^{+0.52}$ at 95\% confidence level, our scenario can interpret the PTA data just as well as the conventional scenario of SIGWs produced during the radiation domination.
title Unraveling the early universe's equation of state and primordial black hole production with PTA, BBN, and CMB observations
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.13574